The Winter 2023 cohort of the Optik Internship program saw students and industry connect through an impactful internship experience at UTS Tech Lab.
Optik interns and industry partners at the program’s Winter 2023 tradeshow / Photo: Andy Roberts
This year’s cohort of the Optik Internship program saw a total of 61 students across a range of disciplines and year groups participate in the program, with these students connected to 12 industry-leading partners throughout a 12-week opportunity.
“The students exceeded their own expectations and the expectations of their industry partners” said Optik program director Osman Mah.
“This level of achievement was thanks to the student’s commitment to their own development combined with the industry mentorship the program provided”.
For Chief Operations Officer of Butter Sydney Julian Cincotta, participating as an industry partner in Optik allowed the company to test underlying assumptions on fresh eyes. “The UTS Optik students delivered a prototype on a sustainable container tracking from scratch during the program,” said Julian. “We gained a fresh perspective on solving a real software engineering business problem, and in exchange delivered expertise on business processes and project mentorship to the students”.
The opportunity to train tomorrow’s leaders was also recognised by Optik sponsor and leading engineering service Cognizant Australia, who also provided business networking and mentorship opportunities for the Optik students.
“We believe in innovation, collaboration, and investing in the future” said Cognizant ANZ Outreach Manager Becky Edney. “We’re shaping a future by committing to Optik”
For Civil Engineering student Swoyam Kunwar, participating in Optik allowed him to have a practical approach to learning outside of a classroom environment.
“I collaborated with two highly experienced engineers from Mid North Coast Council who guided us along the way” said Swoyam.
“I really feel this opportunity has allowed me to experience life as a professional engineering consultant”.
Optik Program Director Osman Mah / Photo: Andy Roberts
Now in its sixth year, the Optik program also celebrates a commitment to diversity and inclusion and exists to support students in underrepresented groups.
“In the Winter cohort, we had interns from more than 15 ethnic backgrounds, with 40% of participants being international students,” said Osman. “We are immensely proud of this diverse group's incredible achievements”.
With this cohort being the first Optik program hosted at UTS Tech Lab, both students and industry partners benefitted from collaborating in a professional environment, with access to world-class facilities to assist with project development.
The Optik Internship program will be running next in Summer 2023. For more information on how to be involved as an Optik industry partner, visit Optik Consultancy